1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pressure-contact terminal formed with pressure-contact blades between which an end of an electric wire is press-fitted.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there is a known pressure-contact terminal of this type as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 10-261442 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown in FIG. 1, a pressure-contact terminal 1 is formed at its one side with a contact portion 2 for connection to an opposed terminal and at its the other side with an electric wire connecting portion 3 for retaining an electric wire and for connection to the electric wire. The electric wire connecting portion 3 is formed with pressure-contact plate portions 6, 7, 8, and 9 cut and bent inward from a pair of side walls 4 and 5. The electric wire connecting portions 3 is formed at its end portion with a pair of electric wire retaining chips 10 and 11.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the pressure contact plate portion 9. As shown in FIG. 2, the pressure-contact plate portion 9 is formed at its tip end with a pressure-contact blade 12 bent toward the contact portion 2. The pressure-contact blade 12 is formed on its tip end side with a thin portion 13 with a small thickness and the thin portion 13 is bent to form an angle of 90xc2x0 to form a contact face 14 on an outer peripheral face of the thin portion 13. The other pressure-contact plate portions 7, 8, and 9 are also formed with pressure-contact blades respectively and are formed with thin portions and pressure-contact faces similarly to the pressure-contact plate portion 9.
By the pressure-contact terminal 1 with such a structure, by press-fitting a covered electric wire in the electric wire connecting portion 3, the pressure-contact blades 12 cut the cover to bring the contact faces 14 into contact with a core, thereby establishing connection.
However, because the contact face 14 is formed by bending the thin portion 13 in the above-described pressure-contact terminal 1, the contact face 14 has low strength and may be deformed in coming into pressure contact with the electric wire.
Furthermore, because a bent portion formed by bending the thin plate portion exists on an upper side of the contact face, cut opposite sides of the cover portion may not be removed to portions other than the contact faces and may remain on the contact face sides after cutting the cover portion. In this case, there is doubt about reliability of connection between the contact faces and the core portion.
The present invention has been achieved with such points in mind.
It therefore is an object of the present invention to provide a pressure-contact terminal by which a cover of an electric wire can be reliably removed and electric connection with the electric wire can be reliably established.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a pressure-contact terminal, comprising: a contact portion (21) in contact with an opposed terminal and formed on a tip end side of the pressure-contact terminal; and a pressure-contact portion (32) formed on a rear end side of the pressure-contact terminal, the pressure-contact portion (32) having a bottom plate, a pair of side plates formed by bending from the bottom plate in the same direction, and at least a pair of pressure-contact plates (34, 35 . . . ) formed to stand from the pair of side plates above the bottom plate and to face each other; wherein the pressure-contact plates (34, 35 . . . ) include: electric wire contact portions (34A, 35A . . . ) formed by bending thin plate portions formed at tip ends of the pressure-contact plates, the electric wire contact portions (34A, 35A . . . ) having contact faces (34G, 35G . . . ) to be in contact with a core of a covered electric wire; and cover cutting-off portions (34B, 35B . . . ) formed on upper portions of the electric wire contact portions (34A, 35A . . . ) to cut and remove the cover portion of the covered electric wire.
In the invention with such a structure, the cover portion of the covered electric wire is cut and removed by the cover cutting-off portions when the covered electric wire is inserted between the pair of pressure-contact plates. By inserting the covered electric wire between the pair of pressure-contact plates, the electric wire contact portions are brought into contact with the core portion of the covered electric wire to connect the pressure-contact terminal and the covered electric wire. In this case, because the core portion comes in contact with the contact faces after the cover cutting-off portions have reliably cut off the cover portion, electric reliability in connection is improved. Because the contact faces are plated, conductivity is further improved, thereby improving the electric reliability in connection.
According to a second aspect of the invention as it depends from the first aspect, in addition to an arrangement of the first aspect, there is provided a pressure-contact terminal, wherein the cover cutting-off portions (34B, 35B . . . ) include: cutting slopes (34E, 35E . . . ) for guiding the covered electric wire to between the pair of pressure-contact plates (34, 35 . . . ) facing each other and for cutting the cover of the covered electric wire; and removing portions (34F, 35F . . . ) formed on tip end sides of the cutting slopes (34E, 35E . . . )to remove the cover portion cut by the cutting slopes to opposite side portions of the pressure-contact plates; and wherein the removing portions (34F, 35F . . . ) include: cover separating faces (34H, 35H . . . ) for separating the cut cover portions to the opposite side portions of the pressure-contact plates (34, 35 . . . ); and cutting-off edge portions (34I, 35I . . . ) formed at continuous portions from the cover separating faces (34H, 35H . . . ) and the cutting slopes (34E, 35E . . . ) to divide the cut opposite cover portions.
Therefore, when the covered electric wire is inserted between the pair of pressure-contact plates, the covered electric wire is guided to between the pressure-contact plates by the cutting slopes and the cover portion is cut and moves to the removing portions. At the removing portions, the opposite sides of the cut cover portion are divided by the cover edge portions and reliably separated to the opposite side portions of the pressure-contact plates by the cover separating faces. Thus, it is possible to reliably remove the cover portion of the covered electric wire and to reliably bring the core portion into contact with the contact faces.
According to a third aspect of the invention as it depends from the first aspect or the second aspect, in addition to an arrangement of the first aspect or the second aspect, there is provided a pressure-contact terminal, wherein the electric wire contact portions (34A, 35A . . . ) include: bent portions (34C, 35C . . . ) formed by bending thin plate portions formed at tip ends of the pressure-contact plates land formed with the contact faces (34G, 35G . . . . ) to be connected in a conductive manner to the covered electric wire; and folded portions (34D, 35D . . . ) formed by further folding tip ends of the bent portions (34C, 35C . . . ) toward the bent portions (34C, 35C . . . ).
Therefore, strength of the bent portions is maintained by the folded portions and contact property of the contact faces formed on the bent portions with the core is ensured to reliably establish electric connection.